PSC captures LEC Championship

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Junior Katie
Sheridan (West Sayville, N.Y.) scored a school-record 10
goals Sunday afternoon, leading Plymouth State College its second
consecutive Little East Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship
with a 20-8 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University at
Arold Field.

It was a 5-5 game midway through the first half, but PSC went on
an 8-1 run over the final 13 minutes of the half, including four
goals by Sheridan, to take a 13-6 advantage into the break. The
Panthers then opened the second half with six unanswered goals,
three by Sheridan, to go up 19-6 before ECSU added a pair in the
final two minutes of the game.

PSC, which defeated Eastern 12-8 in overtime in last year's LEC
title game, extended its winning streak to six games and improved
to 11-3 overall. ECSU, which had won eight in a row since losing to
PSC (13-9) during the regular season on Apr. 12, falls to 8-5.

Sheridan was selected the LEC Tournament's Most Outstanding
Player after her 10-goal performance, improving her season totals
to a team-leading 62 goals and 20 assists. She also set the new PSC
career goals mark with 169, and tied the all-time PSC standard for
points (226). Robin Hartman set the Panther scoring record with 226
points (156 goals, 70 assists) from 1999-02.

Sheridan got plenty of help Sunday from freshman Bethany
Brown (Norwich, Conn.) and junior Michelle
Norton (Sandwich, Mass.). Brown finished with four goals
and two assists, and Norton collected three goals and two assists.
Seniors Julie Shields (Whitby, Ont.) and
Eileen Rice (Nashua, N.H.) and freshman
Lilly Silva (Lowell, Mass.) all chipped in with
one goal apiece.

The Warriors got two goals apiece from sophomore Ashley Able
(Mystic, Conn.) and senior Lauren Davern (Jackson Heights, N.Y.),
all coming in the first 15 minutes of the game. Sophomore Mo Deegan
(Westport, Conn.) assisted on three of Eastern's first four goals
and scored the fifth, while freshmen Kara Mastroianni (Newington,
Conn.) and Alana Florian (Southington, Conn.) and sophomore Sharon
Kilpatrick (Londonderry, N.H.) scored one each for the visitors.

PSC junior netminder Carmen Villanueva (East
Schodack, N.Y.) came up big, making six of her seven saves in the
second half. Junior Erika Blozie (South Windsor, Conn.) made 16
saves for Eastern.

The Panthers are hoping for an NCAA Division III Tournament
At-Large berth, but will likely receive an ECAC New England
Tournament berth. ECSU is also hoping to be selected for the ECAC
Tourney field, which will be announced Monday.

The Little East Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament champion
does not receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament
because a conference must be in existence for at least three years
and this is the second year of women's lax as an official LEC
sport.